Rotary electric shaver



May 22, 1962 F. w. HAYER ROTARY ELECTRIC SHAVER Fild Oct. 15, 1957 MN WM INVENTOR. FEEDER/CK (a 1 /44 53 WTQQ/VEVS United States Patent 3,035,343 ROTARY ELECTRIC SHAVER Frederick W. Hayer, Andes Copper Mining Co., Potrerillos, Chile Filed Oct. 15, 1957, Ser. No. 690,228 9 Claims. (Cl. 30-43) This invention relates to an improved electric shaver.

It is an object of this invention to provide an electric shaver having a greatly improved shaving action.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a shaver wherein the comb is subjected to intermittent unidirectional rotation in such a manner as to improve the shaving action of the shaver.

It is still a further object of this invention to control the intermittent unidirectional rotation of the comb to produce optimum shaving.

Other objects and advantages will be readily apparent from the following description:

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side view partially in section of a shaver embodying this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a View taken along line 22 of FIGURE 1 FIGURE 3 is a view taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 FIGURE 4 is a view taken along line 4--4 of FIGURE 1 FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic view of the comb rotation.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary View of the comb face. FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary section of a modified form of this invention.

FIGURE 8 is a view taken along line 8-8 of FIGURE 7 FIGURE 9 is a view taken along line 9-9 o-f FIGURE 7.

The electric shaver embodying this invention includes a handle 10 which contains an electric motor connected to a suitable power source by cord 12 and operated by switch 14. The motor drives shaft 16 which is supported in bearings 18, 20 and 22 of the comb supporting head 24. Shaft 16 has fixed thereon by pin 26 blade supporting sleeve 28. Three ribs 30 are spaced along sleeve 28 having grooves in their outer edges which receive razor blades 32 which float in said grooves and are urged outwardly by spring 34. Comb 36 is cylindrical in shape and surrounds sleeve 28 holding blades 32 in the grooves. The ribs 30 provide support for the thin comb when same is at rest while the rotating blades provide support therefor during operation of the shaver.

The comb support head telescopically receives one end of comb 36 while the comb telescopically receives cap 38, within which bearing 22 is mounted, at its opposite extremity.

The comb B6 and its associated structure is intermittently rotated. This rotation is provided by a Geneva drive with a projection 40 formed upon shaft 16 and meshing with Geneva gear 42. Gear 42 is rotatably mounted by shaft 44 to which it is keyed. Shaft 44 is rotatably mounted within handle 10 by bearings 46 and 48, the former supported in the end wall of the handle and the latter in web 50 through which shaft 16 freely passes.

Also mounted upon shaft 44 is a spur gear 52 which meshes with a spur gear 54 secured upon comb supporting head 24. Thus as shaft 16 is rotated, rotating the two blades 32, the projection 40 meshes with Geneva gear 42 which through gears 52 and 54 rotate comb 36. This rotation of the comb is unidirectional and intermittent.

It is desirable for optimum results that the comb be at rest most of the time. The rotation of the comb greatly increases the effectiveness of the shaver. However, the

greatest shaving action occurs at the extremity of the comb movement and the greatest shaving action is realized by providing a definite rest period between increments of rotation for the reason that the inertia of the whisker requires a period of time for making entry into the shaving aperture. For this reason the Geneva gear is formed as viewed in FIG. 3, requiring ten revolutions more or less of shaft 16 for one revolution of shaft 44, and gears 52 and 54 are fixed so that comb 36 is at rest approximately ninety-five percent of the time and rotating five percent of the time with an average angular velocity of 20 r.p.m. for comb supporting head 24.

Inasmuch as the diameter of a whisker is .0025" approximately, the comb apertures are .016" in diameter to provide maximum combing. Adjacent rows of comb apertures are in staggered relationship with the center lines of the rows spaced .023" apart to the present an aperture to a Whisker within the area of contact of the comb with the skin. An example of the desired length of movement of the comb would be approximately one-half aperture diameter or .008". This is, of course, controlled by the number of teeth provided upon gears 42, 52 and 54 and provides for maximum coverage by the apertures to cover the skin and maximum time for the whiskers to enter the apertures, also preventing an aperture so that any whisker will be subject to the comb.

In FIGURES 7 through -9 a modified form of this invention is illustrated wherein like parts are given the same numerical designation with the addition of the exponent 5a.!

The shaft 16a carries a cam element 56 which increases in height as it approaches the blade carrying extremity of the shaft. A resilient wheel 58 is mounted upon a wheel carrying element 60 in turn connected by pin 62 to shaft 64. The shaft 64 is rotatably mounted in web 66 and on the side of the web nearest the blade carrying extremity of shaft 16a carries a gear 68 which meshes with spur gear 54a secured to comb supporting head 24a so that rotation of the shaft 16a results in intermittent rotation of the comb. By controlling the size of the cam 56 the frequency and duration of comb rotation can be adjusted to within the range previously described.

The device of this embodiment contemplates adjusting the length of rotation of the comb. For this purpose the web 50a in handle 10 is provided with a threaded bore receiving adjusting element 72 which carries a locking screw 74 which in turn rides in slot 76 in handle 10.

The adjusting member 72 has a stud thereon which projects through hole 78 in web 50a and receives the tip of shaft 64, spring 80 urging same into frictional engagement. When screw 74 is loosened it may be moved in slot 76 screwing the adjustor further into or out of web 50a with a resultant movement of shaft 64 and wheel 58. When wheel 58 is moved to the right in FIG. 7, the cam 56 will further compress the resilient wheel (see FIG. 8) rotating shaft 64 and hence the comb. Thus the length of rotation of the comb may be varied.

While What hereinbefore has been described as the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is readily apparent that alterations and modifications can be resorted to without departing from the scope of this invention and such alterations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an electric shaver the combination of: a cylindrical comb, at least one razor blade rotated within and in close proximity to said comb, and means for imparting a unidirectional intermittent rotation to said comb.

2. In an electric shaver the combination of: a cylindrical comb, at least one razor blade rotated within and in close proximity to said comb, and means for imparting a unidirectional intermittent rotation to said comb, whereby said comb is at rest a greater period of time than in motion.

3. In an electric shaver the combination of: a rotating shaft, at least one razor blade rotating with said shaft, a cylindrical comb surrounding said shaft in close proximity to said razor blade, a support for said comb and means driving said comb in response to rotation of said shaft to impart unidirectional intermittent rotation thereto.

4. In an electric shaver the combination of: a rotating shaft, at least one razor blade rotating with said shaft, a cylindrical comb surrounding said shaft in close proximity to said razor blade, a support for said comb, and gears connecting said shaft to said comb support imparting to said comb in response to rotation of said shaft unidirectional intermittent rotation.

5. In an electric shaver the combination of: a rotating shaft, at least one razor blade rotating with said shaft, a cylindrical comb surrounding said shaft in close proximity to said razor blade, a support for said comb, and gears connecting said shaft to said comb support imparting to said comb in response to rotation of said shaft unidirectional intermittent rotation, with said comb at rest a greater period of time than in motion.

6. In an electric shaver the combination of: a rotating shaft, at least one razor blade rotating with said shaft, a cylindrical comb surrounding said shaft in close proximiy to said razor blade, a support for said comb, and gears connecting said shaft to said comb support imparting to said comb in response to rotation of said shaft unidirectional intermittent rotation, with said comb at rest approximately ninety-five percent of the time.

7. In an electric shaver the combination of: a rotating shaft, at least one razor blade rotating with said shaft,

a cylindrical comb surrounding said shaft in close proximity to said razor blade having a plurality of uniform apertures therein and gears connecting said shaft to said comb support imparting to said comb in response to rotation of said shaft unidirectional intermittent rotation, wherein the increment of rotation of said comb is approximately one-half the diameter of one of said apertures.

8. In an electric shaver the combination of: a rotating shaft, at least one razor blade rotating with said shaft, a cylindrical comb surrounding said shaft in close proximity to said razor blade having a plurality of uniform apertures therein and gears connecting said shaft to said comb support imparting to said comb in response to rotation of said shaft unidirectional intermittent rotation, wherein the increment of rotation of said comb is approximately one-half the diameter of one of said apertures, with said comb at rest approximately ninety-five percent of the time.

9. In an electric shaver the combination of: a cylindrical comb, at least one razor blade rotated within and in close proximity to said comb, means for imparting a unidirectional intermittent rotation to said comb, and means for variably controlling the amount of increment of unidirectional intermittent rotation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,167,833 Gold Aug. 1, 1939 2,283,834 Van Dam et a1 May 19, 1942 2,347,869 Amdur May 2, 1944 2,396,181 Kerwer Mar. 5, 1946 2,742,694 Stone Apr. 24, 1956 

